Why do some motorcycle riders make their bikes so loud?

Question

It's not ALL motorcycle riders that do this... but a good number of them do. Their bikes are just so offensively loud sometimes! I'm curious what their motivation is; why they feel they need to do that.

OK, there have been some really useful responses to this question. I've seen a lot of "Loud bikes save lives", and in fact, I have heard this before. But really - THAT loud? Seems a bit excessive for that purpose. Might there also a degree of simply wanting to be seen? Motorcycle riders: Can you attest to this? And if so, why go to such extreme lengths for this purpose? What gives?

Answer 1

They are obnoxious & self centered, just like people with boom cars.

Answer 2

It is a matter of ego! The look at me and see what I have. Some bikers try to say that loud pipes save lives, to which there is no proof or documentation. The biker should be aware of the perceived risk before ever mounting a motorcycle.

The "Hurt Report", a study of motorcycle accidents disproves the loud pipe saves lives myth and actually points out that "chopper type bikes" were involved in a high number of accidents.

Others state for performance, which again is more garbage. A motorcycle will out preform any car on the road. Often the biker wanna be will install pipes without any carburetor modification and damage the exhaust valves of their motor. This is due to no back pressure on the valves and more often or not, the modified exhaust actually decrease performance.

In reality, it is about ego, selfishness, self centered and screw you attitude. They demand rights while treading on the rights of every person they drive past.

Loud Pipes Violate Rights - Riding a motorcycle is a licensed privilege not a right. Besides, the noise is being projected BEHIND the bike as well as the Doppler effect of sound in wave compression. Ask any Cop, ambulance driver and fireman about how people pay attention to sirens.

Answer 3

Many of the bikes you're hearing have modified exhausts to make more noise. It's a really bad idea. Most of the prejudice against motorcycles is because of the noise. People are starting to try to ban motorcycles in some places because of it. Get a bike with a stock exhaust and keep it that way. You won't have a problem and neither will the rest of us.

Answer 4

I never was a real loud exhaust fan.
However, my exhaust has been modified as well.
I was in a similar accident to rifleman's. I was lucky, I don't have plates and screws. My bike was bright red and lots of chrome (before it got totaled). My current bike is not quite as loud as most Harleys. To be honest, it's a little more than I like. I don't bother the neighbors, we talked as well. It helps that we live in a rural area, we're not on top of each other like in the city. The sound is more noticeable in town, and that's where I need it. I still have people pull out, change lanes, etc. But now they only start. They don't finish and run me over when I "tell" them I am there.

Truthfully, many of the "offensive" ones have the same reason, but don't want to be nice about it any more. I have been given reason to understand why.

Answer 5

I have loud pipes so the stupid people with their radios so loud can hear me coming and can look for me. The whole loud pipes saves lives thing is real. In houston if you don't get their attetion they will hit you. Every time I've been on a quite bike I've had too many close calls by anyones standards. But when on a loud bike I don't have nearly as many close calls. Plus loud pipes can help with the performance.

Answer 6

Numerous reasons

Noise can depend on the type and size of engine as well,

if its a small 4 stroke...these are the ones that literally scream.( CBR 400 )

If its a large 4 stroke,these are the ones that have a deep rumble sound to them.( Suzuki GSX 1400 )

V-twins are the ones that have a loud deep thumping ( Ducati )

Opposing Twins,again a deep low reving rumble ( BMW )



My reason for fitting an after-market exhaust onto my bike are as follows.

1) lots of Car drivers can just about walk and talk at the same time,when driving....anything i can do to concentrate their little minds so not to kill me i do ( full lights/proper exhaust )

2) Standard exhaust systems on new bikes are so restrictive that they emasculate the engine,robbing it of power and fuel efficiency and even more so when they have catalytic converters as well.

3)replacing my standard system with a titanium system saved over 31 lbs in weight,it is also substantially more corrosion resistant and importantly for me,more robust when off-road.

4) I have a BMWR 1150 GSA, these bikes are designed as off-road heavy tourers.....which i use as such,we make it a regular event to ride them from England down to Morroco and the Western Sahara.....when you replace the standard exhaust system,the BMW multi-fueling system is initiated...this means the bike will run on any grade of petrol quite happily,no matter how low the octane,but it has to be a straight-through race exhaust to work at 100%.

5) my exhaust has removable baffles....when using it normally they stay in,nice deep rumble sound...when using it off-road ( Africa ) the baffles come out..nice deep rumbling sound and 3 foot flames.

Answer 7

I've been riding since 1986. In 1987, On a Yamaha XS560, I got pounded by a schmuck pulling out of a gas station. Broke my leg, and got a few other little dings and dents. That Yammie was pretty quiet since it was all stock.

When I decided to climb back on about a year later, I got an H-D Sporty. It was a bit loud. Since then all I've owned is H-D. My current hog is a '99 FXDWG with an S & S "E" model carb and SE II pipes. It can be whisper quiet, even though it's 88 cubes. But I can also "pump up the volume" by giving the wick a healthy twist.

And you know whats funny? Since I switched to H-D I have not had an accident. A few close calls, but no accidents. I wonder if that is becasue brain dead cage drivers now have an extra way to notice I'm around. You would think a large bike is easy to see, but people just don't look for them. Do you know what is the number one thing a person says to the cop when he/she gets to the scene of a bike-car accident? "Officer, I didn't see him"! (Or her.)

It may sound like an excuse, but a person that can't see a 650 pound bike covered in chrome, and the 180 pound rider covered in leather and a big ol' helmet that makes me look like an ambulatory mushroom, may just be able to hear the noise that 88 cubes makes when I have to get on the throttle to avoid them.

Anything that helps keep me in one piece on the road, I'm all for. I'll run stock pipes when every driver is made to take a motorcycle observation test upon renewal of their license. But that will never happen, so I guess I don't have to worry about blowing dough on a new set of pipes.

It's not cool to be loud. I ride my bike every day and go to work very early in the morning, and I know my neighbors are not happy with me. But we have spoken about it, and they understand my reasoning. Especially when I show them the 8 inch scar on my lower left leg where the steel pin, screws, and steel plate holding my leg together are.

I always upshift early, and try to keep my RPM's in the 2,100 to 2,300 range. The bike is very quiet then. On the highway though, I'm pulling 3,000 at 70 MPH. She's a bit loud then. But I don't go screaming through residential neighborhoods waiting until the last minute to shift to see how many car alarms I can set off.

Cagers do some pretty stupid stuff bike riders don't care for also. Next time it rains, watch how far a bike stays back from the car in front. We can't stop in the rain as quickly as a car, so we leave more room. Also, we don't like to get the spray from the road in the face. (Roadkill gravy is not tasty!) And sure enough, some yutz in a cage decides that big space is just right for his car. And half of them don't use turn signals!

I ain't saying loud is right, but if helps keep me alive, I'm gonna take it and run with it. Next time you see a bike rider, see how often he/she looking around. You know why he/she is doing that? It's so we live to ride another day. Cagers don't look for us, so we have to look for them to do something stupid.

Hope that covered everything. I didn't go into detail on other stupid stuff cagers do, this thing would take days to read. Ciao!

Answer 8

Noise saves lives? It may get the attention of someone alongside you IF they don't have the stereo cranked up full blast. Otherwise, there ain't no way. Freight trains are a lot bigger, louder and have a headlight more powerful than anything you'll find on a car or bike as well as signs, flashing lights and gates at crossings and people STILL pull out in front of them. Besides, driving defensively is the best safety tactic around. Noise is fatiguing and fatigue distracts you and slows your reaction time, increasing your chances of not seeing someone or not seeing them soon enough.

Answer 9

The noise draws attention and the levels are getting higher due to distracted drivers on their f-n cell phones and loud stereos and rolled up windows Once I had a lady in the right lane try to pull in to my lane with me right next to her 2 quick rev-ups and she took her phone from her ear and looked @ me like i was the a**hole not her. I don't know how many times I have seen these same people with a cop car, firetruck ambulance on their rear bumper with the siren going full blast until the bass side rumbles their car and they get their head back to the road and the really bad part is that my pipes aren't that loud but I may have to go louder so you will wonder what the he** is that noise before you try to kill me again A quick note I ve been on crutches for over 9yrs and may be on them for life cause a girl in a Stolen car ran a red light while playing with the stereo. He** the cops here have the same exhaust i've got

Answer 10

yes I do want to be seen. that is the whole Idea. The more you notice me then perhaps the less you will pull out in front of me. Even with my Extremely loud pipes, I am still almost ran down on a daily basis. So when people start paying attention and realizing that they aren't the only only ones out there on the road, then I will continue to offend them with my pipes and reminding them that i am there.

I hope this helps you to understand and appreciate the sweet sound of safety.

Answer 11

1st of all it is a performance issue.
2nd LOUD PIPES save lives
3rd I ride everyday and lock up my brakes at least 3-4 times a week on the freeway because some driver does not see me next to them and moves over into my lane, running me off the road.

If car drivers would look out for motorcycle riders, WE WOULD NOT NEED LOUD PIPES.....but until then, it is a must